Online Video Journalism

People are now consuming content from news outlets via mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers and TVs.

Being able to produce high quality visual stories in video across different platforms is becoming an essential skill in the journalist's toolkit.

Starting out is hard, which is why this course is designed to give you the 101 and put you in a position to start creating.

Course tutor: Adam Westbrook
Date: 11 July 2013
Time: 10.00-17.00
Venue: The Tomlinson Centre, Haggerston, London, E8 3ND
Number of places: 10
Cost: £200 (+ £40 VAT)
Equipment: Video cameras and computers with Final Cut software provided.

Online video journalism

In this intensive one-day workshop you'll be introduced to video in all its shapes and sizes and see examples of the best digital storytelling on the web. You'll be introduced to the equipment you need and how to get professional results, regardless of your budget. Most of all, you'll discover how to find stories for video, how to tell them in the most visual way and craft a compelling narrative, using advanced storytelling techniques.

This is a course designed for print, audio and photojournalists looking to expand into video, as well as producers and online content creators who want to create remarkable video content.

This course will provide you with:

• A high speed introduction to all the technical stuff that usually takes months to find out, including a rundown of the various file types, codecs and frame rates, and how to choose the best one for your project.
• A behind the scenes look at how to create compelling non-fiction narratives in video, through examples and study of narrative structure.
• A step-by-step workflow for setting up stories, getting professional shots (regardless of your equipment) and how to edit them effectively.

And we'll look in detail at:

• How to shoot video the right way, including how to set up interviews, using the environment to your best advantage, without having to worry about big lighting set ups.
• The secrets of visual storytelling and how to shoot professional scenes, sequences and b-roll in different situations.
• Using industry standard software you'll get hands on with some real footage and start editing a basic film together.
• How to make the most of your new skills, improve the quality of your films and make the most of a fast growing area of online publishing.

About Adam Westbrook

Adam Westbrook is a multimedia producer, film maker and lecturer based in London. With a background in broadcast news, he left the mainstream media in 2009 to explore online publishing and digital storytelling.

He's produced web documentaries about prison votes, the Iraq war and climate change, as well as video content for the Times Online, VJ Movement and Absolute Radio.

He writes about video journalism on his blog and in spring 2012 he publishes “Inside the Story” a collaborative ebook about digital storytelling, raising money for charity. He lectures in video journalism at Kingston University in London, and has run workshops in video storytelling in Spain, Russia, Moldova and all over the UK.